Game board support and inverting tray

ABSTRACT

A support including a pair of transversly extending members and a pair of longitudinally extending members mounted on and extending from one transverse member to a point beyond the other transverse member. A game board with playing pieces is supported on this framework. A tray with upstanding rear and side edges is inverted over the board and support framework. The side edges of the tray are spaced apart a distance greater than that of the spacing of the longitudinal members. By inverting the whole device and then removing the support and gameboard the playing pieces are left in inverted position in the tray.

United States Patent 1191 Washington Feb. 26, 1974 1 GAME BOARD SUPPORT AND INVERTING 211 Appl. No.: 341,797

[52} US. Cl. 273/1'48 R, 214/301, 273/136 R [51] Int. Cl. A63f 3/0 [58] Field of Search...273/l36, 135 D, 135 R, 130 E, 273/130 R, 148 R, 139; 214/301 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,111,163 3/1938 Yecny 273 136 0 ux FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS France 273/136 E Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerPaul E. Shapiro [57] ABSTRACT A support including a pair of transversly extending members and a pair of longitudinally extending members mounted on and extending from one transverse member to a point beyond the other transverse mem ber. A game board with playing pieces is supported on this framework. A tray with upstanding rear and side edges is inverted over the board and support framework. The side edges of the tray are spaced apart a distance greater than that of the spacing of the longitudinal members. By inverting the whole device and then removing the support and gameboard theplaying pieces are left in inverted position in the tray 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures 1 GAME BOARD SUPPORT AND INVERTING TRAY This invention relates generally to game apparatus and more particularly to a game apparatus for use with game boards having playing pieces with upper and lower faces usually so designated by one face being blank and the other or upper face bearing some type of indicia.

As is well known, there are many popular games such as anagrams, checkers, Scrabble (a registered trademark of Selchow 8L Richter Co.) etc.,- most of which require a game board, in which all of the playing pieces are turned either face up or face down to start the game and which pieces must be inverted at the end of a game preparatory to the start of a second game. The more numerous the number of playing pieces, the more tedious is the job of inverting the individual pieces in order to play the next game.

Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide an improved game apparatus which eliminates the necessity of individually inverting the playing pieces between games and thus facilitates the playing of the game and the number of games which may be played in a given time.

. An important object of the present invention is to provide a support for a game board, and a tray to contain the playing pieces and to cooperate with the game board and the support to confine'the upturned pieces on the game board at the conclusion of play and to invert them all simultaneously so that thereafter, all of the pieces are back in the tray in a downturned position ready for immediate replay of the game.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus of the type described which may be readily and economically manufactured and packaged, and which will be simple to manipulate,

and of long life in use.

Other objects and advantages of'the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description. g

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the support, a game board with upturned playing pieces thereon, and the tray with cooperates therewith, having downturned playing pieces thereon;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the tray in inverted position to confine the playing pieces between it and the game board before inverting the support, the board, the pieces and the tray as a unit;

FIG. 3 is a view showing all of the-playing pieces back in the tray in inverted position ready for replay after their simultaneous inversion;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the support for the game board and pieces; and

FIG. 5 is a further modified form thereof.

Referring to the drawings, numeral designates the support as a whole which comprises front and rear transverse support members 12 and 14 and longitudinal connecting members .16 and 18 resting thereon and thus spaced above an overall support such as a table (not shown). The forward ends 17 of the longitudinal members may project beyond the lateral member 12 to indicate the upper side of the support 10.

A game board 20 is placed upon the longitudinal members 16 and 18 with the boards usual fold line 22 at right angles thereto so as not to collapse or partially fold during play. It is desirable that the external dimensions of the game board 20 when unfolded as shown, be the same as the support 10 although it is not essential as will appear.

The cooperating tray designated as a whole by numeral 24 comprises a base 26 having an upstanding rear edge 28 and connected upstanding side edges 30. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tray supports a plurality of game pieces 32 in the downturned position while those shown on the game board 20 in FIG. I are upturned as indicated by the indicia 34 in the form of crosses.

In use, all of the playing pieces 32 are turned down in the tray 26, and the game board 20 placed as shown in FIG. 1. As play progresses, the downturned game pieces 32 are removed from the tray 26 and placed in the desired but upturned position on the game board 7 When the game is over or the game pieces are all removed from the tray 26, the latter is placed in inverted position (FIG. 2) over the game board and the playing pieces with the rear edge 28 against the front ends 17 of the longitudinal members 16 of the support 10. The game board pieces are thus confined between the game board 20 and the tray bottom 26 with the back and side tray sides 28 and 30 overlying the edges of the game board.

The assembly is now carefully inverted with the tray rear side 28 down until the tray is back in the position of FIG. 3 where, it will be noted, all of the game pieces have been inverted back to the downturned position ready for replay.

In the modification shown in FIG. 4, the side 'and end members 36 and 38 form a frame in the same plane upon which the game board 20 rests. To facilitate the inversion of the playing pieces as described, the sides 36 are provided with cut-out portions 40. The modification disclosed in FIG. 5 is similar to that of FIG. 4 but differs in that a pair of handles 42 fixed to the members 36 are substituted for the cut-off portions 40. i

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim: v

l. A game apparatus comprising, in combination, a horizontal support for a rigid game board having playing'pieces with upper and lower faces to be positioned thereon; said support including a pair of transversely extending members and a pair of longitudinal members mounted on and extending from one transverse member to a point beyond the other transverse member to form a projection indicating the front of said support; and a separate detached tray for supporting playing piecesnot on the game board and all having the same face up; said tray having upstanding side and rear edges; said side edges being spaced a greater distance apart than said longitudinal members; said tray when empty and said edges, cooperating with said support, said game board and the playing pieces thereon when placed upside down in contact therewith to confine the playing pieces therebetween so that the inverting of the support, game board and tray simultaneously inverts all of the playing pieces and returns them to the tray from the board for resumption of play; the spacing of the longitudinal support members above a supporting base for the transversely extending members facilitating the inverting of the support, board and tray. 

1. A game apparatus comprising, in combination, a horizontal support for a rigid game board having playing pieces with upper and lower faces to be positioned thereon; said support including a pair of transversely extending members and a pair of longitudinal members mounted on and extending from one transverse member to a point beyond the other transverse member to form a projection indicating the front of said support; and a separate detached tray for supporting playing pieces not on the game board and all having the same face up; said tray having upstanding side and rear edges; said side edges being spaced a greater distance apart than said longitudinal members; said tray when empty and said edges, cooperating with said support, said game board and the playing pieces thereon when placed upside down in contact therewith to confine the playing pieces therebetween so that the inverting of the support, game board and tray simultaneously inverts all of the playing pieces and returns them to the tray from the board for resumption of play; the spacing of the longitudinal support members above a supporting base for the transversely extending members facilitating the inverting of the support, board and tray. 